TO YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. 2) 
whisky-trader snugly ensconced beneath his *paulin, spread in the shelter of a thick pine. The vis- 
itors prowled about with shovel and ax, chopping and hacking and prying up great pieces of the 
most ornamental work they could find; women and men alike joiniug in the barbarous pastime. 
With regard to the play of the geysers, our visit was well-timed. Just at twilight, the “ Bee 
Hive”, 400 feet distant, on the opposite bank of the river, gave an exhibition of its 
power. The crater is a small, conical, gray mound of Silica, severely simple and 
unpretentious in appearance, with an aperture of some 18 inches, from which steam gently escapes. 
Near by is a small vent, which is the herald and precursor of its greater neighbor. 
Before the “ Bee Hive” plays, this vent commences to emit steam loudly, with occasional splashes 
of water. Soon the geyser begins to boil and steam, the water occasionally surging over. Sud- 
denly comes a burst of 15 or 20 feet, and then almost instantly the slender shaft rises to a height of 
near!~ °00 feet. So great is the impetus, and so slender the column, that the water, in its swift 
ascent, .. .varly all dissolved into fine spray, which drifts off with the clouds of steam before the 
wind, to fall like rain. The play lasted about three minutes, and ceased as suddenly as it had 
commenced. 
An hour and five minutes after his previous display, ‘ Faithful” again reared his magnificent 
column, and during the nigbt, whenever the roar was heard, we looked out from our tents at the 
grand sight, rendered more beautiful by moonlight. The intervals were exactly 65 minutes in every 
case. 
August 22.—We were aroused at an early hour by the report that the “ Bee Hive” was again 
about to play. This proved a false alarm, but sufficed to draw us across the river, which was some 
25 feet wide and 13 to 2 feet in depth, and while on the opposite bank we examined 
the huge pool of the “Giantess”, which was known not to have played for some 
weeks, for symptoms of agitation. We found it full to the brim with beautifully clear water, of a 
deep blue, boiling gently, and giving out clouds of steam. It stands upon a hill of silica, 420 feet 
from the “ Bee Hive” and 300 yards from camp. 
While waiting for breakfast, attention was called to the Grand Geyser, half a mile below camp, 
on the east bank, which had begun to send out great volumes of steam. Hastily 
mounting the nearest horses, we hurried down to it. The Grand Geyser is 
double, the two orifices 15 or 20 feet apart. The down-stream one has a handsome crater, while the 
other has only an ornamental pool, several feet lower. It is from the pool, however, that the dis- 
charge takes place. Rising with rapidly-succeeding impulses, the column rushed to a height of some 
80 feet, sustained itself for a few seconds, fell, rose again, and receded to its basin. In a minute or 
two, it again shot to the same height, again faltered, rose, and subsided. Still a third effort was 
made and exhausted, and the waters receded until the empty basin was exposed to view, and could 
be examined with impunity. Meanwhile the neighboring geyser was splashing its waters in all 
directions, and discharging clouds of steam, while a steam-vent close at hand kept up a most out- 
rageous roar. Though not so lofty a play as some observed by previous visitors, the exhibition was 
very fine; the swiftly successive pulses of water and steam breakipg into beads and spray at inter- 
vals up the full height of the column, accompanied by vast clouds of vapor, and the mighty roar 
combined to make an imposing and beautiful spectacle. 
The surroundings of the Grand” are the most ornate of all, and exhibit greater variety and 
beauty than any other. ; 
The “ Turban”, which stands at the northern edge of the “ pool”, serves to distinguish the gey- 
ser. It is of singular form, highly ornamented, and I experienced almost a pang — «park's Head”, or 
in becoming conscious of an apprehension that I should meet it again somewhere “Turban”. 
on exhibition. Some visitor, a little more enterprising than his predecessors, will be sure to detach 
it and carry it off. Shovel and ax had been busy with the geyser, and large quantities had been 
removed. ; 
While returning to camp, the “ Castle”, on the west bank, was observed to be in agitation and 
givin g out vast quantities of steam. A discharge soon took place, to a height of 10 
or 15 feet only; but from the commanding position of the geyser and its handsome : 
appearance, possessing, as it does, a high mound, richly decorated, and several apertures through 
which it plays at once, the sight is very fine. Several times during the morning it repeated its per- 
The “Bee Hive”. 
Pool of the Giantess. 
“The Grand.” 
The “Castle”. 
